


Disguise

by y8man



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Campfires, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Ear Kink, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Internal Conflict, Lingering Past, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mental Anguish, Sex, Silence, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-08-20 05:17:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8237446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/y8man/pseuds/y8man
Summary: A training session in the middle of the Rainforest District woods came to be a momentous starry night for an observant Nick Wilde.





	1. Beneath the Fire Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A training session in the middle of the Rainforest District woods came to be a momentous starry night for an observant Nick Wilde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Zootopia. If I did, I'd be adding lots of romantic heresy to it.
> 
> For those, who have already read the Disguise section (original content), this is the official prequel to that same story – which I have properly edited so that this story would be reflected within its developments. I assure you that Campfire would add much depth to it.  
> For new readers, expect a hustle of emotions.
> 
> There is an insights section after the main story (so DO NOT skip to that section if you do not want to be spoiled). If you want to indulge in my personal thoughts, feel free to sympathize with the background.
> 
> Enjoy the campfire.

\- O – O – O – O – O -

"Nick, what are you doing?"

Nick Wilde barely tilted his head sideways to acknowledge the presence of the one and only Judy Hopps.  
Her voice, almost haunting, echoed stronger than the ﬁre crackling against the gently buzzing darkness  
"Nothing," was his lazy slur.

Any words he expected, however, were turned down as the bunny just silently sat down beside him.  
A light stare offered him the view of Judy placing her legs in front to a more comfortable position of proper weight distribution.  
Then there was simple silence, like he was meant to expect her leaning closer to him.  
It was one of those unusual moments when he actually felt calm with not teasing the bunny, and how nice it actually was.  
Some trails of thoughts suggested maybe she felt the same, and it was an alluring enough of an idea to make his tail swish a time or two.  
Softly and silently, he subconsciously brushed against the soil behind him, like he was simply sipping a cup of coffee from the ZPD's ﬁrst floor vending machine.

Ahhh...  
That was a bummer thought.  
They were most deﬁnitely not in any premises around the Sahara Square, and his tail eased to a stop.  
Judy probably noticed the subtle change and fortunately cleared her throat to speak, "No nothing, Nick. What you're doing is unusual. You don't just stare at others while they sleep."

Nick raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the smiling bunny, who shrugged casually.  
"Well, you were staring too, then. At the ﬁre? Then happened to be  _me_?"  
Judy seemed to challenge the reach of his eyebrow with a smug expression.  
"But you were awake. The  _Chief_  isn't nor was any of us."  
The fox hummed in amusement as he acknowledged the conﬁdence in her voice, following himself with an apparent glance at the sleeping buffalo in tight uniform. "Well,  _he_  is my nearest subject,"  
Nick huffed. "Besides, if this team of "top ten ofﬁcers" had  _actual_  tents and not just sprawled around a campﬁre - which looks nice admittedly - would staring in the same direction be justiﬁed?"

Judy properly chuckled at his jest. "As Chief Bogo said, we shouldn't rely only on our tools as police officers. For that matter, we now have this training of resilience in an isolated place."  
Nick rolled his eyes. "You even memorized that."  
"Yes! And no part within that statement justiﬁes  _ogling_  fellow ofﬁcers." Judy grinned.  
The fox narrowed his eyebrows. "And am I supposed to bite the bait now?"  
Judy shrugged once more, before taking a pair of cuffs from a pocket and spinning it by a ﬁnger.  
"Or I can arrest you now, shifty fox."  
Nick sighed. "Can't I say anything in defense ﬁrst?"  
The bunny glanced at an imaginary handheld watch, before mustering a serious look at him.  
"You. Have. A. Minute."

"Okay. First." The fox made small grunts as if considering his flow. "Ogle is a bad choice for a word. I was only  _staring,_  as I have ﬁrmly established with my mental suggestion of actual tents."  
Judy rolled her eyes even as Nick continued.  
"Second. Any person at slumber gives the  _fun_  part of staring. We all look so peaceful and bothered by nothing. The face isn't contorted and looks well-rested." He gave a quick glance at all the ofﬁcers. "Not that I see anyone with signs of having nightmares. That would also be interesting."  
"Ten."  
Nick raised his hands slightly with a face of mock conﬁdence. "And Chief's orders. I  _am_  currently the one in watch for  _suspicious_  creatures who might sneak up on our sleep and bite us like savage predators hungry for prey."

Judy closed her imaginary watch and sighed in disappointment.  
" _Negative_  two seconds. You receive a penalty, Ofﬁcer Wilde."  
Nick tutted humorously. "What could that be?"  
The bunny acted contrary to her statement, however, as she pocketed back her cuffs. Then she chuckled. "You step back a little and give me more of the campﬁre's heat."  
Nick followed suit with his own pleased reaction. "Oh, feeling cold, Ofﬁcer?"  
"Yeah," Judy drawled casually. "I don't have  _any_  of my stuffed toys to snuggle to."  
The fox shrugged as he crawled a bit backwards, but not even as far as a hands breadth.  
"Penalty received. What's next?"

Judy idly traced a ﬁnger on the ground directly between them as she spoke. "Do entertain me."  
With her pause being almost a slur, Nick just made an acknowledging grunt as he waited for the rest. Just as it was about to feel uncomfortably long, however, Judy added, "Why  _were_  you staring at the others?"  
"I told you... or implied it anyway. I was just being idle." Nick shot a quick look at her moving ﬁnger. "Just as your little hand, which seems to have a mind of its own? I mean, who wouldn't be  _bored_  being on "guard duty?""  
"I want to feel convinced..." Judy continued with a low tone, focusing her eyes on her ﬁnger at motion then stopping her tracing a few seconds later. "Frankly, I don't."  
The bunny looked up at him with an unreadable glint in her gaze, one act so rare to see from her.  
She kept a solid eye contact for a short moment before settling down in a position looking directly at the campﬁre. She remained silent afterwards.

Clueless would be an understatement to how Nick felt being actually unable to comprehend his partner's expression. Looking at her gave no ideas for where he should start his reaction with.  
However, a shifting gaze made him notice the drawn lines on the ground which he initially thought were just scribbles.

Most of the lines would have been passed by as just nonsense but an actual observant attention to a speciﬁc part of Chief Bogo's presentation of the regulations for the team-building in their initial meetup 12 hours ago was enough to give a hint.  
What the illustration showed was that of their current base and everyone's sleeping positions.  
Ten squiggly lines around the base campﬁre and Nick wondered why the illustration being similar to a sun or even a clock's ﬁgure did not cross his mind ﬁrst.

The Chief was indeed his nearest subject and the succeeding parts of their formation were randomized, according to the ofﬁcer himself. While Bogo did mention that the decision was not meant to hold any signiﬁcance, some ofﬁcers surmised it showed an emphasis of "dispersion" in the supposedly wild setting - though a rather weak assumption.  
Nick, however, thought it was because the Chief did not want any "potential intimate partnership" to occur, especially in an isolated area - after a signiﬁcant portion of the usual ZPD buzz became more inclined in the topic of romance.  
Checking the formation made him notice the rather suspicious alternation in gender with each individual.  
Chosen "top ten" so he did say.

Judy was somewhere directly perpendicular to his feet's direction. While the Chief was on his left, the other adjacent side from his position was Fangmeyer, who had already openly established that she was not interested in any relationships for her young age. And who was up to doubt her anyway?  
Alas, his observations only made him all the more confused. If not the complexities of a female mind, what else could it be that bypassed his logic?  
Her reaction continued to confound him as he grumbled audibly.  
"I... don't really know what you might possibly mean? I'm sorry, Judy."  
"What?"

He was given a sudden look, deﬁnitely a puzzled one, quite similar to his surprise at how he quickly realized how poorly he just blurted out an apology.  
At least, he got her attention again... and maybe he could actually ask for any clariﬁcation.  
"Just what I said." Nick breathed deeply, and then exhaled a signiﬁcant amount. "I  _am_  a bit taken aback." At Judy's impenetrable gaze, the fox continued, "I  _can't_  comprehend what the lines you must be thinking along now could possibly be. And I don't want to assume. Isn't the Chief-"  
Nick halted himself, before sighing once more. "What is it that we have here, Carrots?"

For a moment, her gaze turned gentle before it reformed into something more coy, or seemingly so, as she spoke, "I can actually believe that."  
Nick saw her hand within their distance twitch a bit in place, as if she was trying not to show anxiety.  
That was deﬁnitely a more readable bunny.  
"Maybe I'm just tired. Maybe I was just remembering things. Maybe I insinuated myself with a selﬁsh thought.  
"Carrots..." Nick hovered his hand close to her shoulder, and he did not ﬁnd himself stopped.  
"That's..."  
Judy paused for a moment. She resumed shortly after with a much lowered voice.  
"That's much better..."

Even with her uniform's shoulder pads, Nick could actually feel tingling warmth across his ﬁngers and he allowed it to linger in his silence.  
"I thought you were... not ogling really. Staring is enough. But it's the interest really.  _I_  don't know what  _you_  must be thinking a few minutes ago and even now. I'm..." The bunny paused as she raised a hand to her chest, while the fox grunted gently to acknowledge the action.  
Admittedly, he did not think of the bunny as one who could be affected by such disposition - as he did so by skipping the thought in his previous assumptions - but neither rejecting nor leaving it now was going to do any good.  
He was pretty sure his partner also had the thought as she pursed her lips in consideration.  
"Yeah." Judy turned her head slightly away before adding, "At least, I'm pretty sure you now get me. I really am just a-"

Strange how he had already expected what direction her words were going to take.  
Swiftly had he moved and placed a ﬁnger on her lips, just in time to gently slash the rest of her statement away.  
"Envy is unbecoming of you, Carrots. And more so for the already 'drastic' effects it has on you right now."  
The fox gave a small smile to give assurance of his control.  
Judy could only blink silently as Nick continued, "Now, I'm planning to remove my ﬁnger soon  _but_  you're gonna have to lay down with the pessimism. Let's have an interesting chat."  
Nick's smile grew to a grin as he slowly stirred his ﬁnger away. "Did you know I actually found it uncomfortable staring at Fangmeyer, out of all the people here."

The fox allowed his partner a few seconds to register his words, taking particular interest in her careful change of emotive expression. "Are you telling me you're bothered that Fangmeyer is hot?"  
Nick raised an eyebrow at her statement, amused and impressed at the same time. "Nothing of that sort. I mean, I can be pretty open with relationships. It just so happens I had a different eye for her."  
They had to spare a look at the mentioned tigress which made Nick chuckle. Said canine was sleeping in one side, with a gentle paw under her chin. "And she has a different or rather oblivious eye for  _anyone_  among us."

"Yeah. Francine was the one who couldn't believe it the most." There was a soft chuckle as she murmured absently, almost to herself. "...relationships, huh?"  
"Right. And I'm the one petty open with those," Nick repeats in amusement.  
Judy hummed, before giving her friend a curious look. "...and what does that mean exactly?"  
"I don't know..." Nick spared the rabbit a look and smiled lazily, as if challenging her logic.  
Judy rolled her eyes humorously. "Right.  _I_  don't know either."

At least, her tone had deﬁnitely gotten lighter.  
The interesting part of it all, however, was that the silence he had found warmth from a while ago could have actually been such a dreary moment for her.  
He couldn't turn his side of the coin to check out hers... at least, until the previous stuff happened.  
Was he overthinking things?

"Well..." Nick yawned as he laid himself down and leaned backwards by his arms, looking up the starry sky. "I'm honestly trying to think of a good analogy... and I can't think of one."  
Judy easily followed suit and followed with words he could almost hear a smirk from. "Slick Wilde not having his way with words?"  
He afforded a slight tilt of his head to her direction. "More like Slick Wilde isn't used to spending the night with a cute bunny."  
"Don't call me-"  
"-cute."  
Nick smirked. Judy only furrowed her eyebrows but did not really object to it more as she rolled her eyes and continued instead, "And second, we  _are_  talking about Fang.  _Your_  interest in Fang."

"Right." Nick uttered another inevitable yawn, hanging a hand over his mouth for a few seconds.  
"You're intentionally making it long!" Judy accused with a coo. "Look at me, I'm not even affected."  
"Well, even if I did look at you, I  _was_  on guard duty since two hours ago. You were asleep through that time. Besi-" The fox chuckled as he felt another one coming. But he stopped it just in time anyway. "Okay. My body may be overreacting."  
"Saying it yourself!" Judy scoffed humorously. "Besides, aren't yawns supposed to be infectious?"  
"That differs from one individual to another, Carrots," Nick spoke conﬁdently. "Do you think an elephant with big heaves of breath would yawn the same way as how a small bunny like you does it?"  
The bunny rolled her eyes as they both chuckled afterwards.

"Okay. I'll give you a short break with the interrogation, Slick." Judy shrugged, somewhat uncomfortably against the ground, but hummed cheerfully as she raised a ﬁnger upwards. "What do you think about constellations, Nick?"  
"Non-existent to the bored eye. The opposite for interested people," the fox offered in a readily monotonous tone, much to the amusement of the other.  
"So what kind of eye do you currently have?" Nick found himself shortly glancing over her direction again, giving himself a sight of petite happiness to which he just silently grunted at, before staring back up with her.  
"I can say I have two existent eyes with shared existent interest."  
"Great! That's a nice start."

Judy momentarily lowered her hand to rub it against her other hand, seemingly in excitement, and raising it back up with renewed vigor in her voice. "Any constellations you recognize?"  
Nick raised a curious eyebrow. " _Normally,_  you'd challenge your companion into ﬁnding the constellation you ﬁrst found so that there would be a proper start... like a conversation."  
"Guuhh..." Judy's hand visibly wavered. "I am  _not_  your casual stargazer, Nick."  
"That's where you're readable now, Carrots." The pleased fox hummed as he raised one of his hands to touch the bunny's, slowly holding it next and making a circular motion with it.

"Okay... you got me," Judy admitted sheepishly. "Buuut, what are we doing?"  
"Nothing," Nick said casually. "You think  _I_  know anything about constellations? Any information about them wouldn't have helped me in my hustling years."  
"What? But you-"  
"Pokerface, Carrots. Never let others see that they get to you." The fox hummed as he stopped the circular motion of their hands. "Look. If I adjusted your ﬁnger and pointed it somewhere to  _this_  direction, I'd still look like one who knows more stars than the number of his tail's fur."  
"Exaggeration doesn't help." Judy chuckled nevertheless. "I get your point though. But then again, there goes the only topic I could think of."

"Well,  _your_  random topic made me curious about  _another_  random topic." Nick grunted as he went and continued tracing lines using Judy's ﬁnger.  
"Okay, what is it?" The bunny whispered, with hints of excitement.  
"If you didn't know about constellations, what did you do during nights when you were young?"  
He felt a slight tug from Judy's hand, before realizing she was gesturing for permission in control, although the fox still held on. "I can ask the same about you! See here..."  
Nick could swear he could hear a cheerful smile creep into her voice itself as she traced out a clear number.  _87._  
"Your birth year?"  
" _Maybe_  it is!" Judy rolled her eyes. "Silly, it's the number of family members we had by the time of these particular stories."  
"Interesting," Nick voiced out, genuinely curious. "How'd you know the exact number anyway?"  
"You just do!" The bunny offered unhelpfully, not that it was important.

Judy adjusted her raised hand a bit to allow its other ﬁngers some freedom of movement, and Nick soon found himself an improvisation of a storytelling medium.  
"That doesn't look like any other hand puppet I've ever seen," Nick teased.  
"I don't have any markers. Nor do you. So we'll settle with my  _wild_  ﬁngers," said Judy as she comically jerked her ﬁngers to the fox's direction, mimicking the trajectory of hostile air weapons.  
"I'm not going to get scared by pale imitations of your family members," said Nick as he himself raised his ﬁngers to offer an immediate counter to her advances... like a short and simple intermission for the topic change.  
It lasted for a good while and it was strangely amusing - how her ﬁngers moved, but still ever so gently.

Yet he found himself holding her hand completely. "Got ya!"

" _Ni_ \- No! Not the biologically savage predatooor!" Judy squealed as she weakened her resistance.  
 _Blank._  
"You ﬁve bunnies are now my hostages," Nick stated with a lopsided grin. "And I request to hear each of your stories to tell!"  
 _Fazed._  
"Skkeeewy fooox!" uttered Judy in a high-pitched voice, moving her smallest ﬁnger.  
 _Warm._  
"You have quite the voice," growled the fox as he motioned his grasp to change its target to that one single ﬁnger. "I pronounce you ﬁrst!"  
 _Strange._  
"Nooo! Not my nephew!" Her little finger jerked frantically... but alas, Nick shooed the rest away.

As their ﬁngers almost froze to a halt, Nick absently recognized the stirring feeling within him.  
Judy, however, continued as if there was nothing wrong... from what he could tell off her mannerisms.  
He couldn't really focus on her face from his angle but she still spoke jovially, which one would assume to have a bright smile, one which he would like to appreciate by getting a chance to have a simple stare at it.  
 _It was weird but..._  
"Meet one of the bunnies in the next four generations under me. His name is-"  
 _A peculiar hazy feeling, tingling with innocent curiosity._  
"You see, each generation presents a unique part within the "hierarchy" of the family members," the bunny chattered on, oblivious to his lost thoughts. "And it so happened that I was to care for this particular group of kits. There we also have River."

Nick frowned. "You lived by a river back then?"  
Judy looked confused for a moment before chortling at him, "Silly Wilde. You have to listen to me. This  _ﬁnger_  speaking up is called River."  
"Oh," the fox muttered lamely.  
The bunny allowed him his mistake with a chuckle and just continued instead. "See, she had a pretty good imagination for her age. You'd think she was named River because of all the words  _flowing_  out of her mouth..."  
Nick managed to take the cue accordingly, with a smirk. "I assume you thought of that pun just now. Gosh, I'm proud of you, Carrots."  
"Why, yes. Thank you!" Judy hummed boastfully. "But really, she had like, the shiniest eyes among the next few generations. And that's speaking  _a lot!_  She got her name from her almost faded eye color."

How fun it was to get distracted in her vivid chatter...  _almost entrancing._  
Plus, her intricate presentation of her story did not feel like any annoying drawl you'd hear from the Chief when he initiated meetings.  
The fox came to know how the so-called River was one of the reasons she did not get the chance to go much outside, for being rowdy inside their home tunnels with movements apparently guided by the Wyld, a rather simple deviation from its word origin but admittedly amusing from a kitten indeed.  
It was not any story he would have really enjoyed much, except for keeping track of character attitude for background information – one trait he unapologetically still kept from his hustling days, but Judy somehow gave her distant memory a beating heart.  
It made him ponder just how different would had been if he had met the bunny much earlier than the Nighthowler case.  
If anything, would he have been fond of constellations just so he could impress her with calculated ﬁnger pointing beside campﬁres and sleeping ofﬁcers?

The warmth of their hands together only gave him a vague clue.

"Well, that's really what happens with a bunch of naughty kittens. Normally though, it's my aunts or uncles sharing stuff. They like to boast their stories. Cotton's for my thumb though. She's my  _absolute_ fave!" Judy gave a short silly laugh, as she left her pinky motionless for the rest of her ﬁnger movement. "I'd tell you about all of them but I'm pretty much surprised we managed to stay still like this for a while now. Not that I complain..."  
"Carrots. See, if River was a wonderful set of eyes and words alike..." Nick slowly lowered their hands together as he gave his partner a gentle look; only to ﬁnd himself with two violet eyes already staring back. "My stars, you're beautiful."  
An immediate jump in both breath and heartbeat made Nick blink in surprise as he realized what he had just said out loud.  
Totally unnatural of him.  
But her ears visibly lowered and possibly even reddened in effect.

Judy's face showed clear evidence of confusion and shock.  
How lucky it was for him if he were to admit... since it provided sincere pleasure for him to see the bunny with such a priceless expression, honest and sincere.  
But it might as well had been complete disbelief for what he had just said, which was...  
"Terribly sudden of me, Carrots. But I..." Nick paused as he initially went for a chuckle, but he sighed instead. "I  _mean_  it. You see..."

By that time, they were already lying on their sides, looking at each other intently - which Judy tried anyway, before focusing on their still holding hands.  
She twitched her hold a bit, but it was all there was to it.  
"Carrots, back when I had a partner..." Nick paused as he noticed the silent but evident gasp on her mouth. "A different one, yeah. I never told much about myself. Nor-" He actually hissed as he felt his voice break. "Nor do I think I will tonight, it's a long talk, but..."  
Just as she slightly squirmed her hands moments ago, so did Nick put emphasis as he held them more tightly. "I don't have a good past, Carrots. All this absent gazing reminded me of those long nights looking up at the sky that quickly lost their calm."

Much to his surprise, Judy looked back up at his gaze, with eyes shimmering with what seemed to be uncertainty. Or tears.  
"But tonight... it's beautiful. Simple and silly  _but_  beautiful. And it's also because of you here."  
"You  _are_  beautiful, Judy."  
A halting silence drawled over them, broken only by deep breaths and nature's wind.  
The bunny ﬁnally answered but with just a simple statement. "Nick, I don't know what to say..."  
The fox blinked solemnly. "Neither do-"

Their ears perked up as Chief Bogo suddenly sneezed, making them instantly let go of each other's hands.  
Judy was just about to stand up but Nick had other ideas.  
He shoved his back over the direction of the Chief's and pulled Judy in front of him to a stiff embrace.  
He could swear something shimmered off her face but he could not conﬁrm it yet.  
"It's too late," he whispered. "Stay silent for a while."  
The bunny lowered her ears accordingly just so none of her ﬁgure peeks out from Nick's whole body.  
A basic plan, but the fox could not risk getting any of them - especially 'her' in trouble just for offering emotional support for his terrible disposition.  
Judy did not get to say any more words as she just huddled closer to his chest, slightly tickling him with how she seemingly snuggled her face.

It was still a complete risk, however, as he had no idea what the Chief was doing... or if he really just sneezed and went back to sleep.  
Nick maintained a ﬁrm stature and raised his head in alertness... which only made him realize that Judy was trying to muffle her sniffles by pressing harder against his uniform.  
It was rather heartbreaking to see her that way.  
How did the night come to progress that way?  
How did his silence become such a harrowing feeling?  
 _Why did-_

Nick held one sharp breath as his eyesight caught some movement behind them.  
A shadow or two it could be have been but there was certainly a form of movement, almost sneaky enough to have had him miss it.  
He was about to turn his head around to ﬁnally check on the Chief when his eyes ﬁnally caught the culprit.  
A certain tigress' tail.  
Just the type of ofﬁcer one would not want to get in trouble with... currently awake and looking at him. They did talk about Fangmeyer minutes ago and her natural stoic look, but her current expression surprised him.  
It  _asked_   _for_  silence.  
One would mistake it for the eyes of a predator who was just about ready to pounce greedily on a Bug Burga. However, her gentle tail movement - which was what caught him off-guard initially - indicated she planned no harm. Whether his guts were actually something to go for, Nick did not really have much choice.

As for the Chief... the fox gave himself about a full minute of wary silence with not just Judy but also Fangmeyer, as he tried to gauge the situation.  
Nothing signiﬁcant happened, except for the snores of Wolford which grew louder.

What surprised him next, however, was how he was suddenly given a smile, by Fangmeyer herself... before the tigress glanced at the Chief's direction then just rolled her body to a different side.  
There it was.  
He was practically being given a pass from both sides - directly or not, it did not matter.

He was back to being isolated with Judy. It surprised him how overwhelming the feeling was.  
How fluffy her ears felt against his paws. How he also wanted to touch her face.  
If he were to stay with her like this forever, no longer would he feel alone under a starry sky.

It was a signiﬁcant number of seconds later before he realized that Judy had also gone quiet, except for the occasional groans she would make - probably asking for what was still happening.  
As much as he wanted the moment to last for maybe 'a little bit' longer, he couldn't allow Judy to hang over his personal sadness.  
A relationship should never work that way.  
So as resolutely as he could, he raised her head gently by a ﬁnger on her chin.  
Tempted he was to even just kiss her forehead, but instead he whispered softly, "It's alright now."

Judy mumbled something incoherent, to which Nick hummed in question.  
"What is it?"  
"I still don't know what to say."  
Nick gave one last concerned look over the direction of the only tigress in the team, before chuckling as he allowed himself one pat on her head. "How about we go wander a bit in the rainforest, eh?"  
"Yhor on jushy," said Judy as she pressed her face once more against his chest.  
"I won't forget this moment." The fox cleared his throat and whispered handsomely. " _Judy's favorite position._  A head butt embrace with Nick Wilde."

There was a tinge of playful regret as the bunny raised her head to give him a grumpy look.  
"You bunnies... So emotional."  
"I'll take the offer of the walk, but not too long..." Judy relieved Nick from her weight and stood up, offering him a hand. "And not too far."  
The way her eyes blinked told enough of how she deﬁnitely wept, but aside from that was something about what she said which felt somewhat...  _secure_  for him.  
It was not any police ofﬁcer kind of safety.  
It was a different being's presence making up hope for his sadness.

 _How lucky he was to have Judy Hopps._  
"Come on, Nick."  
 _But was she fortunate to have met him?  
_ "You know I don't usually do this  _bad_  stuff."  
Her face did not show any indication.  
Nor did his heart tell him about a piece of it.  
 _But for what it was worth..._  
Nick took the gentle hand, and he felt something more than his physical weight being lifted.

Whatever it meant, he was willing to sink deeper unto the feeling, as long as Judy Hopps would be there.

X

"Hey."  
There was a momentary lack of words inside the van, as if there actually wasn't any person inside.  
"Hmm. Finn?"  
Nick was about to raise a hand to his chin to ponder about it when he heard the grumpy voice speak.  
"What happened?" But it was on a rather surprising tone, a stubbornly gentle one.  
"We gazed at the stars last night."  
"You aren't lying," Finnick stated piercingly from the driver's seat. "But there's something next, I can tell."  
"...I let her see that things still get to me."  
Another short silence preceded as Nick slowly stepped to the front seat. "What are you doing?"  
"Don't go over here yet!" Finnick stated as his ears perked up alert, before grumbling in frustration. "And don't call me Finn."

Nick felt a signiﬁcant weight from a beat of his heart.  
"Yeah. My apologies."  
"So, what happened?" Finnick prodded.  
The red fox sat down, letting a ﬁnger trace along the van's side door. "I was on guard duty, supposed to be alone," Nick started cautiously, trying not to make it feel like he was trying to ﬁnd out what the other was doing. Though strangely silent and with no brash movements was deﬁnitely not Finnick's style. He wouldn't want to break his concentration.  
"It was honestly pretty uneventful. Since  _savage animals_  aren't really a thing now - who knows what will come next? We only actually focused on careful movement around the site. We even passed by Ficus Drive..." He had a short sudden inhalation of breath as he realized he pretty much cut every part of his story short, but he was stopped ﬁrmly.  
"I see now."

Their silence traded yet another set of words and vague feelings, which Nick found himself feeling strangely comfortable with.  
Perhaps any wall of his, no matter how high, had already been built a sturdy ladder by such a small fennec - making him capable to see through after all. Well, they had been partners for a very long time.  
If anything-  
"Bring me a cig here."  
Nick hummed in acknowledgment as he started looking around.  
 _"Still in the same spot."  
_ The red fox blinked in realization, before chuckling softly as he went outside the vehicle.

He felt his four paws touch the ground as he crouched and looked below the van.  
Just as he saw the pack of cigarettes under one of the wheels, he heard carefully rushed steps from the inside and the back door being closed.  
Nothing wrong... rather, it was even nostalgic. Back at their hustling times, they used to live by the same peculiar signals.  
So Nick got himself the cigarette pack before leaning comfortably against the van.  
Other than keeping an eye or two on the passing strangers, he pretty much had the time for himself.  
...but no, he wasn't going to light a cig.  
 _'Not ever,'_  he surmised as he playfully spun the pack in his hands, the cigarettes rolling almost to a drop before going back in swift rotations.

It was quite an entrancing act, strong enough to block any distracting thought.  
"Nick?"  
The fox looked up and was surprised to ﬁnd a tigress none other than Fangmeyer.  
"Oh, pardon me." He immediately stood up and patted some dust away from his still worn police uniform while in contrary; the other ofﬁcer had some casual gym clothes on, ﬁrm enough to highlight her broad shoulders. "I can ex-"  
"Is your-" The tigress simply gestured to van. "-inside?"  
"Naaah. That's why I was waiting here." Nick shrugged, as he gracefully pocketed the cigarette pack.

"Okay. See..." Nick raised an eyebrow at the rather unusual display of meekness.  
"We're both pretty sure we saw each other last night."  
Fangmeyer acknowledged his attitude and gave a small smile. "Yes, I did. But I didn't eavesdrop. No lies. And I would not tell anyone before any of you did."  
"Well..." Nick drawled conﬁdently. "What are you curious about then? This isn't really a good setting for a long talk."  
"It's ﬁne with me," she said as she inclined her body against the brick wall. "I was just going to the gym, but with last night's activities, maybe I can give it a rest."  
Nick was given a rather friendly look, with an offer allowing him to lean back against the van again.  
"Yeah. Made me curious though. Gym after that  _exhausting_  night?"  
" _Fulﬁlling,_ " the tigress corrected humorously. "It was a nice work-out either way."

"You do know that we usually don't talk right? I mean, apart from all the soda breaks and the riddle mornings."

Nick hummed as he gave himself the sight of her ﬁgure, looking at her. With nothing but a simple curious eye.  
Fangmeyer only raised an eyebrow, indicating attention to his vague disposition. "Everyone starts off that way with each other. I just-"  
"Happened to see Ofﬁcer Wilde silently embracing Judy Hopps," Nick interrupted bluntly. "Without that, you would have just smiled at me when you passed by."  
"I wouldn't have," she answered rather calmly. "Way before that, I already saw you looking at the rest of us with not a calculated eye but a curious one.  _That_  got me interested in  _you._ "

Nick lowered his mouth in a small surprised but pleasant smile. "Oh, is that so?"  
"Just like how you're looking at my  _body_  now. Most people do that in perversion or admiration..." He was given a serious look by the next words. "You don't."  
"Fang, who prefers to be oblivious in relationships and affection, giving me interest?" Nick smirked.  
"Call me what you want. But you sparked something in me. I thought you were just another cunning fox who happened to like a rather innocent bunny." Fangmeyer paused to place emphasis. "Maybe you're something more than a transparent mask of deceit."  
"What?"

"And you being hesitant on something? Usually, I'd say you're confused about it.  _Feelings_  they call it." Her tail swished as if trying to follow her pace of words. Evidently, her furrowed eyebrows indicated carefulness in forming a thought. "But you're Nick. You don't become  _confused._  What I believe I see from you is a troubled fox, deep inside... and Hopps maybe can't  _feel_  through the mask."

"Woah. Woah. Woah. Slow down now." Nick sighed rather heavily. "I'm hearing all this from ZPD's supposedly best cop right now. Don't I have any say on this?"  
"Hmm." There was a strange twinkle in her eyes as she considered him. "Why don't you give me a cigarette ﬁrst?"  
Nick decided he did not have much choice and entertained his coworker.  
Whatever Finnick was doing inside, he better not suddenly jump out or make a mess out of the situation. Well, it was meant to be his time anyway.  
He was about to mention his lack of a lighter when the tigress took one from her pocket.  
"I don't think I have ever seen you smoke," Nick said honestly.  
"I rarely do this," Fangmeyer answered softly as her initial puffs came out with ease. "Not even ZPD stress can make me smoke. I treat it more as a moment of contemplation. And this one's about you."  
"I really have no escape from this, eh?"

Fangmeyer looked up as she blew another cloud. "Well, I won't be long really. I'm actually surprised I got to say something coherent about what I thought about you from last night. Plus, I think it's going to rain."  
"Okay." Nick shrugged. "Fire your rounds then."  
"What upcoming signiﬁcant events are you aware of?"  
"Hmm? Not Carrots' birthday as far as I know," the red fox started lightly before humming in consideration. "The opening of the new amusement park in Tundratown? Gazelle's upcoming album and personal signing? Or are you talking more about like the Chief's temporary reassignment to the Tri-State along the Burrows?"  
The tigress grunted in amusement. "Okay. I didn't know most of that stuff. But you'd know about Gazelle from Clawhauser anyway." She lowered her cigarette to give him an earnest look. "How about the-"

The fox blinked as he heard quick steps from the inside and instantly thought about speaking up for a signal... but the van's back door opened up much sooner, with just enough reaction time for him to jump to the side.  
"Nick, it's do-"  
They were both greeted by a somewhat disheveled fennec who wore a fond look... which instantly turned to anger. "What did you do this time?!"  
"She's not even in her police uniform, Finnick." Nick smirked, giving the tigress a polite nod.  
"No worries." She gave the fennec a lopsided smile. "I was just about to go anyway. Thanks for the smoke, Nick."  
Nick frowned. "But-"  
"Oh, your buddy already knows what I'm about to say." She tossed her cigarette stub in a nearby trash can as she turned around. "Or rather, whatever his hand is holding does."

Nick had no idea what she meant so he only turned around in confusion.  
"Uh, you got all of that?"  
"I..." His previous anger quickly shifted to that of a surprisingly sweeter expression once the tigress had gone around the corner. "Come inside, Nick."  
The red fox raised an eyebrow before humming stubbornly to give the other a challenge.  
"I don't appreciate being told around by my buddy... whose actions are apparently known by a  _police ofﬁcer._ "  
Finnick sighed, almost grumbling his next words, "No way did she know what  _exactly_  I did. Look here." The fennec raised the object he was hiding behind his figure, revealing a handmade mask.  
"I made something for you."  
Nick gasped in instant recognition of its intricate design. "Why do you-"  
"I did my part. Now get inside," Finnick said in a tone not worth ﬁghting against. "We have a masquerade to sneak into."

\- O – O – O – O – O -

" _I can't really say much."  
\- Finnick_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XInsight01X  
> "[...] I don't want to assume. Isn't the Chief-"  
> Nick halted himself, before sighing once more. "What is it that we have here, Carrots?"  
> -  
> Nick doesn't know what Judy could possibly be thinking (since he didn't assume Judy to be of a jealous type). Since any part of his logic wasn't false or offending, he thought the Chief somehow imposed on their interactions. But why would he blame the Chief for that? He'd just be pointing fingers blindly.  
> POINTING fingers is all there is to it, a play all around the star gaze concept.
> 
> XInsight02X  
> "I don't have a good past, Carrots."  
> -  
> Stargaze is just that - a random topic presented. But it has significant weight in thought.  
> So is the rest of their "lives" unpresented yet.  
> Any amount of random knowledge is in fact reflective of a pile of moments in life, and Nick not knowing or caring about stars speaks much about my characterization for him.
> 
> XInsight03X  
> It was not any story he would have really enjoyed much, except for keeping track of character attitude for background information – one trait he unapologetically still kept from his hustling days, but Judy somehow gave her distant memory a beating heart.  
> The warmth of their hands together only gave him a vague clue.  
> -  
> Let's face it. Even from the actual movie, Nick and Judy barely know each other – much like the observable stars in the sky. There's so much beyond what's in front of their characters.  
> This is also reflective of the chapter title: Beneath the Fire Within, which sounds repetitive but has depth depending on the dimensions of the person.  
> They served so much purpose as two strangers as a deep introspective thought from me.
> 
> XInsight04X  
> Fangmeyer  
> -  
> "And you being hesitant on something? [...] you're Nick. You don't become confused. "  
> Fangmeyer is a very neat representation of my thoughts, but her trouble in putting those very thoughts is similar to how I tried to actually write her.  
> I feel like I characterized her pretty strongly and different for what she would have been in the actual thing. I settled with Fangmeyer as their "emotive escape" - whom they talked about... another spectacle of interest.  
> For me, she's a mellow version of Nick, and a very objective one at that.  
> Probably not as smart as the fox with words but firm in not only poise but also disposition.  
> Finnick already had his ladders built, but if there's anyone who's gonna straighten Nick's nerves, it's her.  
> She's going to punch a hole in his wall with a bare fist... with consent of course.  
> She may prod about him, but only out of curiosity.  
> She doesn't want to get involved BECAUSE she knows Nick.  
> Maybe just a bit through his mask, but she respects him, begrudgingly.  
> Her smoking is an absolute form of respect.  
> I don't really think of their pasts in a way that they could have possibly already met - if that would be the case, they would be plot enhancers.  
> The characterization of Fang here suits an asexual being, because she's mellow unlike me who is an open pansexual.
> 
> XInsight05X  
> Nick Wilde  
> -  
> "But tonight... it's beautiful. Simple and silly but beautiful. And it's also because of you here."  
> Nick is a flexible character to put my thoughts into; and much of it, and his thoughts, are very much similar to mine to be honest.  
> Anyone observant is a good channel, if not a story of introspect and thoughts.  
> I tend to dislike overcrowded spoken words, like there should be a distance between each statement and not just "" after each "".  
> Most readers would just pass by a fanfiction's words, but how do I voice something abstract within me anyway?  
> Through characters' observations!  
> Parts of me revolve all around them, all like talking to myself prodding my thoughts out
> 
> XInsight06X  
> Judy Hopps  
> -  
> "I don't know what to say..."  
> The rabbit is a representation of the innocence I perceive of myself through what I see in strangers.  
> As observant as I can get, there is still so much wonderful mystery that I cannot touch nor see through a person. And that mystery is something one should tread along carefully.  
> She's a gentle caress to my spirit.
> 
> XInsight07X  
> Finnick  
> -  
> Perhaps any wall of his, no matter how high, had already been built a sturdy ladder by such a small fennec - making him capable to see through after all.  
> A minor appearance, but a significant representation of Nick's past.  
> Finnick is the closest we know of a father figure to Nick, and a very caring one at that.  
> If Nick had a mask for his emotions, Finnick serves as his casket for those same emotions – the fennec contains his fragile shell.


	2. Under Green Feathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A masquerade makes Judy Hopps discover the dance of emotions inside her heart and Nick Wilde's very own eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Zootopia or any of its characters.
> 
> It’s my first time to write smut, with animals and all. Anatomy check.  
> This is going to be one hell of a ride, one way or another.

\- O – O – O – O – O -

Judy hummed as she absently touched the hem of her black dress, its low skirt hanging conservatively over her legs. She adjusted her bright orange mask, frowning at the slight disproportion of its green feathers by the ear area.  
The decor was actually supposed to show a daring contrast to what animals usually thought of...  _carrots_.

First of all, she never thought about joining a masquerade party.  
There were a lot of weird stuff in Zootopia that could match the bizarreness of the Naturalist Club, and Judy considered such an activity among them.  
Everyone was basically on formal wear, with the face hidden by a single mask.  
No matter how dreary the prospect was, she could not get the guts to reject Clawhauser when he asked for her companionship. Strangely enough, he did not even give details of what he would be wearing.

Judy thought it would be easy to identify an animal by his or her body figure.  
She found herself to be totally wrong.  
It was easy enough to identify a polar bear from a buffalo, but there was only little way to confirm the persona within the specific species. The personalities within the voices were effectively muffled by the masks over their faces.  
There was not much to do but to reject a dance, converse or have a toast.  
If only she could call for Clawhauser, or find him at least...

"It will bring you no good being absent-minded in an occasion like this."  
She almost bumped into another animal, to whom she apologized to. "I... I'm kinda lost."  
"Aren't we all?"  
Judy attempted to make a quick first impression for the figure before her, instinctively eyeing the tail part for reference.  
"I'm a fox and you're a bunny," he introduced with a tone of delight. "We're both lost... Isn't that funny?"  
"Oh, that was some quick assonance, Sir..." Judy sighed in frustration. "How or what do you call strangers in here?"  
"Call me Fox. I'll call you Bunny," was the concise reply. "Care for a dance?"

The fox had a clear white fox mask on which had ashen jagged lines over one side of its cheeks, startlingly making it look more feminine; and a neat black top hat on, which he twirled over his body deftly before making a bow.  
She was not sure whether it was an actual appropriate invitation for a dance nor did she feel up to the task of asking many questions.  
She only looked at his paw and regarded it with a raised eyebrow, quickly realizing her eyes nor actually any part of her face could actually be seen by the other.  
She was definitely not the type for such events.

Her first thought was that the fox was easily Nick.  
There was the red hue in the fox's fur. The height in relation to hers was similar. Possibly even his stance... only she did not know if it was even polite to say such things in a straightforward fashion.  
"So Bunny, you're new to this kind of thing?" Judy only nodded silently, and finally took the paw.  
"This is my first dance for the night," Hopps admitted, which she immediately thought sounded stupid of her. She did know how to dance but she also looked like she did not know how to handle even such a simple conversation.

"Relax. This fox does not bite...  _bunnies,_  at least. "  
"Har. Har." Judy rolled her eyes. It was only then that she came to appreciate how meaningful facial expressions were in a conversation.  
She had no way to gauge the other's reaction or trail of thoughts, with nothing to see but a mystifying mask.

As the fox laid his paws on her waist and shoulder, he uttered one smooth line. "My face is wrapped in white, while yours is a carrot in sight."  
Judy chuckled. "Are you actually serious with this?"  
"Well, isn't it interesting to try a different persona in an event like this?" he pointed out nonchalantly, as he gestured around. "No one's going to notice you. No one's going to mind. No one's going to judge you. It's like you're not a bunny here nor am I a fox here."  
"Please!  _Poetry?_  That's not like... the best act you could have prepared for a lady." She faltered a little, almost saying  _you_  as if she was talking to Nicholas Wilde.  
Like he said, the place itself was more of a ground for a different characterization of one's self. Even if the figure before her was Nick, any affirmation or rejection on it would not do anything of essence.

"There are so little words in this world of dancing. There are so little doors in this form of talking." The fox paused, much to Judy's puzzled entrancement. "Why don't we take this to the next step?"  
"What next step?" the bunny asked innocently. "I was just invited here. I don't even know the program schedule."  
The fox effortlessly pulled themselves to the middle of the festivity with a graceful dance. "As their eyes glance upon this, what do you say for a soft kiss?"  
"I... what?" For a brief moment, Judy almost slipped on her heels and lost a little composure in her sways.  
"It seems you're not ready for the next step, Bunny. Alas, it looks like it's expected by many."  
Judy Hopps did not know whether to smile in entertainment, palm her face in shame or just go with the flow. Every sense in her body and mind was telling her that the figure before her was Nick. For him to subtly ask for a kiss... actually made her feel flustered and bubbly.  
It reminded her of the last time she was embraced by that same fox...  
Maybe it was the mixture of his play of words and the soft music in the background.  
She spared a look around the area and found his words to be false. "Dumb fox, are you trying to hypnotize me or something?"  
"Oh, no." He shook his head with a hum. "I would not do something like that to a frail lady."

 _Fluff._  
Judy felt awkward as she realized she was actually expecting the usual naming tease.  
 _Officer Hopps._  
It would be a heart-warming bliss to be able to confirm that the fox before her was actually Nick, for him to make advances on her.  
 _Sly bunny._  
She wondered why she was only starting to get doubtful of the situation. What if...?  
 _Carrots._

"So Bunny, why did you pick something like a carrot for a mask?" The fox asked, with a matching tone as if to adjust the pace for his partner.  
"A friend of mine actually made this for me," Judy told him truthfully. "I couldn't reject  _her_  since she already made it... and she looked  _very_  enthusiastic."  
A lie.  
As if she wanted to...  
"How about you, Fox?" Judy traded as an inquiry. "Would it be discourteous of me to ask of it?"  
The fox gave a slight shrug. "White shows cleanliness of my present time. But I can't think of something, a word that can rhyme."  
"Oh, you're funny."

 _Ask him._  
Judy's mind was literally swirling with thoughts of Nick Wilde.  
 _Tell him._  
Things were starting to feel more like a dance of speculative thoughts rather than gentle physical movements of the body.  
 _Touch him._  
Her perception was definitely getting fuzzier at the moment, and she eagerly waited for the fox to continue the conversation for her.  
 _Kiss him.  
_ Like that dark night feeling alone with him under the stars...

As the music shifted to another piece, the fox slowly moved themselves away from the center, to give a chance for the other participants.  
"What happens if you reveal your face here?" Judy asked absently.  
"Firstly, everyone would look at you  _and_  your partner." The fox leaned his closer and placed a few fingers on her guise. "Then the following assumption is up to them. Bunny, do you want to test it?"  
She vaguely realized their dynamic dance had turned to just slight swaying of their bodies. "But wouldn't that mean I would be like...  _kicked out_  or something? I mean, I'd be breaking the rules."  
She felt silly for being clueless in the prospect.  
"Yes. But that means you  _and_  your partner will be going out together."  
The fox held the small distance of their faces, finally putting their dance to a still. "Bunny, you have me."

 _Bunny._  
Had she actually become used to her characterization of Carrots that she had started feeling awkward hearing her name outside its boundaries? Or was it just because of the fox before her?  
 _Bunny, you have me._  
Either way, what a coincidence it would be... He could also be an actual relative of Nick.  
She was a little surprised that pressing on the matter rather presented more possibilities.  
Yet she only wanted to hold on to  _one._  
"Woah, Bunny. You're not looking well..."  
If it was actually Nick, how different would it have been if that lone night did not happen?  
Judy wanted to give a sly reply but she never had the ability to do so, when she felt her body drop to the fox's arms and her eyes closing heavily.

How she still wanted to dance.

_X_

Judy regained consciousness with her eyes still closed, lying down on something soft she found strangely familiar... or rather, her  _sense of smell_  did.  
She could feel her nose slightly twitching in curiosity... relatively every sense of her body felt much stronger and heightened.

Her eyes opened to reveal the same red fox she had danced with, still in his formal garb.  
"Sir..." Judy tried to sit up, only to feel a sharp pang of dizziness strike her head. She went back to the comfort of what she realized were the fox's legs.  
"Bunny, try not to get so excited." The fox gave a thin smirk before removing his white mask. "Or would you prefer to have me call you Carrots?"  
Judy chuckled and spoke weakly, "I knew it was you, Slick Nick."  
"And I knew it was you, Carrots."

Their gazes locked on each other's eyes, emerald against lavender, with their breathings seemingly held at pause.  
Nick decided to break the silence. "How long are you going to stay on my lap?"  
"As long as you'll allow me." Judy's reply was snarky, as if she was challenging her partner.  
"Well, that might take a little longer than forever."

Eyes still on the other's face, Judy realized she was rather relieved she was with the fox's company again... this time without any hindrance.  
It made her aware of her apparent lack of her own mask and she raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Where did you put my disguise?"  
"You'll only see once you get off my lap," Nick answered coyly.  
"Well..." The bunny rolled her eyes. "If that cannot be answered, can you at least tell me where we are?"  
"Why don't you ask the neighbors?"  
As if on cue, the ground shook roughly from a nearby source of rowdiness.

Judy frowned teasingly. "Alright, how did you get in my room?"  
"My claws have different uses aside from mincing some food." Nick bared a few of his fangs to provide an alternate image for his vulpine characteristics.  
The bunny shook her head as if unconvinced. "It's not easy to pick a doorknob."  
"It's not easy to pick a bunny," Nick countered with a grin. "I thought you'd just be light. And really, it's not just my legs that are hurting. It's hard to keep staring down at this ball of fluff."  
Judy assessed his face before replying with a similar haughty tone. "Neither is it comfortable to look up to an omnivorous predator with those  _very_  threatening fangs."  
"Sly bunny."  
"Dumb fox."

The red fox sighed in amusement, looking at the ceiling for a brief moment.  
"So how about we turn that around for this instance? It's not me who lost consciousness while prancing around in a dance hall."  
Judy flushed in mild embarrassment. "I suddenly got a feverish feeling. Must be a bunny's natural aversion to suspicious foxes."  
"Like all those short gasps for breath whenever I teased you?  _Fox. Fox._ " Nick followed with a poor imitation of a gasp, actually leaning more on a silly wheeze.  
"Hey, I wasn't like that." Judy paused as she bit her lower lip, avoiding his gaze. "I was just happy to have the dance with you. Although I wasn't in fact convinced myself whether it's the same fox I know."  
"How honest of you."  
Judy noticed a slight reaction by his snout, but anything else was unreadable.

"Nick, the last time we were like this together..."  
As her voice trailed down to a whisper, Nick only smiled sweetly, making Judy shake her head instead.  
"Clawhauser's going to be disappointed with me, leaving the party all of a sudden."  
"Carrots, it's a masquerade," Nick pointed out as if it should have been obvious. "No one could have known who that rabbit who fell into a fox's arms was."  
"But he's the one who made my mask."  
"Oh, you told me it was a  _she_." Nick looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "This  _might_  get the ZPD buzzing."  
"What?"  
The red fox cleared his throat for pretend professionalism. " _Nick Wilde carrying Judy Hopps off to who knows where!_  I can imagine the cheetah's already making rumors."

Judy felt a strong urge to stand up and run back to the event's location.  
Nick tutted, obviously entertained by her change of disposition. "I thought you'll be staying on my lap forever."  
"Oh, Nick." Judy covered her face with her paws. "This can't be news! They'll tease me in an actual  _forever_!"  
"Forever might not be a long time with you."  
The bunny rolled her eyes, the rest of her face unable to display the level of her disbelief. "Nick, are you just trying to flirt with me?"

It was the first  _unique_  reaction Judy had seen from the fox outside his usual smirks and haughtiness.  
His mouth was similar to a snarky smile but it was left hanging open in surprise.  
His eyes lost their wicked glint, replaced by a hint of sincere happiness.  
Even his pronounced cheeks seemed still not in slyness but more of playfulness.  
"What do you know? A red fox is caught red-handed."  
His smooth acceptance left Judy rather uncertain how to reply, leaving the turn of silence back to her.

She was a prey.  
He was a predator.  
Judy assumed he was just muddled by his sense of assertive instinct and possibly even a tinge of  _heat_  but... Could Nick Wilde also be defenseless against  _the_  natural phase?  
She was starting to identify more complications currently hanging over the situation.  
Was it possible for the feverish feeling to have transferred to her initially, but had actually been slowly manifesting itself through the fox in subtle ways?  
Such as his playful hints at the dance or the offer of a kiss...

"In the case of the Night Howler, what was the plate number of the white limo Emmet Otterton was in?"  
What if it was why she felt puzzlingly drawn to him when they were dancing, as if everything  _foxy_  about him allured her?  
Nick's eyes bore unto hers with no question and he spoke confidently, "29THD03. Now what's this about, Carrots?"  
What if he was just using the heated atmosphere as an excuse or a means to incite his confidence? Although if she were to be honest with herself, it was probably her own bubbling emotions acting up.  
And how was this moment any different from what could have been their past lone night together?

"How did we figure out where to find the leads for Emmet Otterton?"  
Judy was just rambling on. Deep down her thoughts, she was instinctively trying to insinuate a calming demeanor for the fox to capture.  
Yet she wasn't convinced herself it was of any actual danger to stay with the fox in his current state. Instead, what her heavily pumping heart told her was of thrill and excitement.  
Unsettling.  
Nick, however, seemed to be looking more entertained than ever and his eyes were much more narrowed in interest. "Naturalist Club. Mystic Spring Oasis.  _Anyone can be anything,_ even naked."

Nick placed two paws on her ears, one for each, and pressed them gently from top to bottom.  
When the process reached somewhere in the middle of her ears, Judy suddenly felt a massive amount of chills throughout her body. "Nick!"  
"Hmmm?" The curious hum sounded rather uncharacteristic for her, with the fox tilting his head a little bit to the sideways.  
"I think that tickles me..."  
He stopped his massage in consideration, only to continue after a few seconds of silence.  
Judy's legs jerked together as if to suppress a giddy urge to hop. "Nick...!"  
"Oh,  _Bunny._  Can I call you cute?"  
She puffed her cheeks in a natural response. "Do not call me cute."  
Why was Nick being straightforward all of a sudden...?

The fox sighed in compliance. "Alright."  
He was back to calling her Bunny, if that was of any significance.  
She only realized just then that he was slightly jiggling his legs, which sent a reeling rhythm in her head.  
Maybe they were drunk, after all.  
A spiked punch and everything was definitely not a new idea for an event prank.  
But what if...  
For once, she decided to put her attention somewhere else other than the fox's face... his dark green attire; although she could only see its collar and blue tie, very much like his usual get-up and casually distinctive of him.  
"I- is that your own polo shirt?"  
The topic did not even feel engaging for her as a start, but she was getting more uncertain than ever.  
Maybe it was the rhythm of his legs.  
Dizzying.  
Maybe it was the lack of breeze in the area.  
Stifling.

Without even waiting for an answer, Judy asked another question. "Did you leave the window open?"  
The fox only smiled as if ready to respond to more senseless questions.  
"Yes, this is my polo shirt. My Mom made it for me. Yes, the window is open. But isn't it getting a little cold?"  
She was actually starting to sweat, with her clothes making her feel restricted.  
Cold, definitely not.  
Maybe it was because of his bodily reaction with heat against cold. Or maybe the fur...  
But if it was of any consolation, the fox had finally stopped the ear massage to attentively listen to her.

"W- where did you learn how to dance?"  
"Oh,  _vixens_  love to dance. And they taught me  _so_ much."  
Judy noted how he seemed to drawl over the mention of female foxes, as if allured himself, but she did not have enough time to put an observation on it.  
She squeaked and quickly covered her mouth as she realized the fox had been swaying his tail over her feet, and was slowly raising it to her leg level.  
"Bunny, you're much more adorable than any of those vixens _[1]_. Cynthia. Jessica. Skye."

Names of vixens.  
A long gone part of his tale... or were they?  
Her trail of thoughts shot back to their campfire night... how long ago it felt...  
How...  
"Tell me more about Cynthia."  
His sudden change of temperament was surprising to say the least, but it was much more of a drunken anguish for Judy. Nick momentarily eyed her as if in a daze then blinked quickly, changing his gaze from one side to another.  
Judy cautiously raised her two paws and held his face in resolve, whispering, "Nick..?"  
His disarming expression.  
"Would you believe me if I told you I pushed myself just to face you  _and_ myself this very night?"  
The stiffening of his face.  
"Carrots, I think I still can't... Like Fa- like I was told, I'm a  _troubled_ fox."  
The faltering of his leg movement.  
It was not even hidden properly. It was plain for her eyes to see.  
"Nick, you have me."

The red fox grasped her paws tight and held his gaze back at Judy's face. He then lowered it and pressed their paws together on her legs. "That was... Carrots, I'm not sure whether you'll stay on my lap after  _that_  story."  
"Nick, you are so much more than a figment of your past," Judy whispered, trying to be uplifting. "Look at you now. You're a police officer!"  
The conversation certainly hushed his initial self-assertiveness, as she found herself to be quietly ascertained. She was given a simple smirk. "Aren't you going to ask about Jessica and Skye, too?"  
"It's usually the first name mentioned which holds the strongest meaning," Judy said in a matter-of-factly tone, before holding her breath and hoping she was not acting so open.

"No matter... Jessica and Skye had been sweet foxes for one date each." Nick offered a mischievous look. "You managed to hit the mark, sly bunny."  
"Har. Har." Judy could not do much except give him his time. Her hands were restrained, but delicately so. However, she wondered why his casual innuendo relieved her rather than leaving her disturbed.  
"You do get what I mean...?" His tone was almost derisive, as if speaking cleverly to an innocent cub.  
"Silly. I'm a  _bunny_. Even kittens would already know about that with our natural inclination to..." She left the statement hanging with pleased laughter.  
 _"Natural inclination."_  Nick seemed to roll his tongue over the specific phrase in amusement.  
"That's the spirit."

"Cynthia is..." Nick hovered a paw over her face, making her instinctively close her eyes.  
Shortly after, Judy felt an object being fitted on her face.  
It was Nick's mask, which was barely suitable for her face.  
"The last time I saw her, her face is similar with this mask."  
Judy almost gasped out loud. So that was why her first impression of the disguise was feminine.  
It was the intention after all, and for Nick to wear it out rightly...

"It was the time when the pawpsicle business was booming, and I met Finnick."  
With the rest of her face unable to convey a visible expression, Judy hummed in skepticism.  
" _You're_  the one who started the pawpsicles? I thought it was Finnick."  
"Oh boy, I was definitely an expert at it even when I was alone." Nick smirked as if he was remembering moments from his early days of dealings. "The elephant suit was a nice touch though, and that one was  _his_  idea."  
"You'd think maybe he secretly likes it," Judy said teasingly.

"So where does Cynthia come in here?" Nick stated in jest. "Middle phase of being a teenager. Chief Buffalo was promoted to his current position-"  
"You also knew  _that_?!" Judy interrupted, and then quickly hushed herself as she realized she was chiming in the story way too many times.  
"Officer Fluff, it's fine if you do that. Helps ease the tension I have."  
 _Tension._  
"How honest of you." It was a quick reply of flippancy but it was not as sly as he had sounded when he told the same to her a while ago for she was slightly worried for his sentiments.

"So yes. Chief Buffalo is new. Finnick is new. Cynthia is also new."  
As much as Judy wanted to jump start with her inquisitive mind already, she willed herself to stay observant for the moment. Nick seemed to understand her trail of thought as he grunted in acknowledgment.  
"To clarify, Cynthia is our- my last vixen. So I can say I already had the necessary  _experience_  by then."  
Judy silently noted how his voice switched from a guarded tone to a casual drawl. She thought it was a quick defense mechanism but the purpose seemed rather conflicting.

"She was  _so_  beautiful, even animals of other species couldn't help but give her a glance. Elegant white fur..." Judy's breathing halted for a second as she realized Nick was pressing his paws on her own fur.  _White._  
"...with a few gray lines all around her body. Although the definite mark was the streak of color on her left cheek... all too similar with this mask."  
Contrary to what Judy expected, Nick's state seemed livelier than before; although she could sense a hint of ridicule as if to a witless remembrance of himself.

"I was literally just sucking on a pawpsicle for lunch break when this vixen came out of nowhere and charmed me from the  _other_  side of the street. How gullible I was. I was much more stupid than when I wanted to be a Junior Ranger Scout. I should have known.

"Suddenly, I was seeing this beautiful vixen every day. That was around two years of lonely pawpsicle trade and the relationship was only around two months... but of deception, I found out much later.

"She knew her way to a fox's physical skin and even his rational thought. Her paws were soft against my skin. Her tail knew how to interact with another's fur. She was a natural temptress and boy was I worse than infatuated. I thought I already learned much from my youth, hmm? Even then, here I am. I'm being consoled by a bunny. What is it with the female sex? I can't fully grasp its ring.

"Those were two months of feeling a special kinship... of being disconnected with Finnick... of working harder for pawpsicles and red wood just to earn more money to buy her gifts..."  
Judy could not suppress a minor laughter, with Nick just eyeing her sweetly.  
"Until I just started making links on what seemed to be random things. Cynthia's whispers. Cynthia's body. Cynthia's color. Cynthia's scent. Something was nudging me... I found it to be Cynthia's tail, or rather  _something_  on it."

Nick paused, the only sound in the room coming from his slight pats around Judy's head and ears.  
The bunny wanted to admit she was impressed. The fox had managed to keep a steady eye contact all throughout the story and even a consistent tone. Yet she did not want to interrupt.  
Something in his eyes told her he could cry any time, or just guffaw in place. The conflict within them was apparent yet it never affected his disposition.  
She so wanted to hold his face again.

She wanted to have that face closer to hers...

"Cynthia  _definitely_  liked using that tail of hers. It's like another sentient and clever being merged with her body... it found its way to pleasurable places I never could have imagined existed."  
With the focus on the specified body part, Judy could feel excitement from the fox's own tail drifting softly around her feet.  
"But I realized that all those air fresheners in the hotels, perfumes on her body, cigarettes through her breaths, flashy jewelry, striking tattoos... they were all for a ruse. There it was...

"It was unmistakably Finnick's fur."  
Judy did not speak any words but she was certain Nick was able to notice how she stiffened in place. It only made him grunt.  
"Even with all the stuff I kept on telling myself, things  _got_  to me. I was frustrated. I was torn. I was mad. I was... I was  _savage._  
"The things I did...  
"I spanked her.  
"I gagged her.  
"I tied her.  
"I slapped her.  
"I kicked her.  
"I clawed her."  
Judy's inborn bunny instincts were acting up against the growing ferocity in the fox's voice and she could not help but feel tense. Her breathing was starting to feel strangling.

"She was  _fucking_  crying, that freaking vixen. She was  _fucking_  crying when I couldn't even bring myself to do it. I was... I was..."  
Suddenly, tears were falling from his eyes partnered by quick pants, as if he was reliving the very moment of physical aggression.  
"Finnick came out of nowhere." His voice remained surprisingly stable as he continued the story.  
"He was able to smell Cynthia, her scent heightened by fear and alarm. I had her blood on my paws.  
"I was crying.  
"I was mad.  
"I was exhilarated.  
"I was enlivened by  _that kind_  of touch.  
"I was a wild predator."

His emotions seemed to catch up with his quick breathing, as his voice finally cracked.  
"I- I thought I'd also lose my only friend that day. I thought everything was falling apart right before me. Two foxes in front of me. I felt betrayed. I was feeling suffocated by the reality of it."  
Nick stopped speaking, only to press his snout on Judy's - or rather the fox mask's - forehead and gasped for deep breaths. Without raising his head up, he resumed speaking in a much lower tone.  
"Finnick calmly helped Cynthia up, released her, gave her clothes and told her to go. When she had gone, he turned to me with a blank expression.  
"I still had my bloodied claws raised.  
"I was still panting a lot.  
"I was confused.  
" _Never let them see that they get to you._  That was what he told me."

Judy hummed in disbelief, relieved to have a different point of focus. "I thought you were the one with  _that_  ideal!"  
Nick sniffed once. "Of course I'd be using the best life lessons I myself had learned. Would you have believed me if I told you Finnick had that kind of mindset?"  
He exhaled decisively and lifted his head back up to return to their eye contact.  
"Finnick told me I was lucky enough to have  _captured_  a vixen like Cynthia for two months. It turned out he knew I was going out with her. He let me off to learn things the hard and shifty way. You'd think a fox would know things about fellow foxes. Not me... I actually fell in love with a hooker, or what I felt it was. Even after one night stands with other vixens. A fox's hormones are tricky, almost like hallucinogens."

For all the tears he cried, Judy was unsure how to react.  
He definitely felt something  _special._  For what it was... she found it hard to dwell upon.  
"I..."  
Nick finally removed the mask over her face and hummed in interest, as he pressed a finger on her cheek and tracing it to her chin.  
"I... was I crying?"  
"Carrots."  
"Nick..." She could feel her suppressed emotions suddenly rushing out as she sat up, turned around and embraced the fox to the bed. "I- I had no idea."  
Another bunch of fresh tears followed and she could see some of them trailing down to Nick's body. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."  
"Carrots, why are you crying more than I did?" Nick asked teasingly as he leaned further to his left to place the mask he had collected from Judy to her desk. "And here I thought I'd have you forever on my lap..."

For quite a while, Judy only remained silent except for her occasional sniffs and sharp breathings.  
Nick did not have much to offer, neither solace nor slyness, only listening to her cry for his wounded soul.

Judy turned her head sideways to glance at the disguise.  
"So who made that mask?"  
Nick actually chuckled at the question. "You'd be surprised at the things Finnick can do."  
"It's..." Staring at it upon just learning of its backstory made her feel surreal, yet if she were to be honest... "Finnick did a good job. It's definitely beautiful."  
Nick lightly pressed her nose once. "And that's just her face. You should have seen her back then."  
"Come on, no more Cynthia..." Judy snuggled herself closer to Nick's shoulder and spoke with a muffled voice. "I'll be here for you. You can count on me."

Nick's breath came in broken huffs, as Judy could feel from the unsteady rise of his chest.  
"Carrots... if anyone sees us in our current position-"  
"Let them..." She trusted the fox to have already locked the door anyway.  
"Clawhauser and the others...?"  
"What, are they going to find your fingerprints on me? Then what?"  
The red fox chortled at her silly presupposition. "That's not like the best excuse you could have prepared for a gentle fox."  
Judy hummed softly. "This feels so cozy..."  
"Carrots… you're not scared of me or anything?" Nick asked uncertainly.  
"Why should I be? I mean, I did get nervous but..." Judy pressed a paw over his chest. "You're my dumb fox now."

Silence ensued.  
Both animals could only hear the breathings of one another, slow yet meaningful.  
"Carrots, do you want to continue our dance? This time, without the masks."  
"Hmmm..." Judy grumbled. "I discovered another position I'd like to stay in forever."  
"It's bound to get hot. These clothes are uncomfortable."  
The rabbit chuckled. "They look good on you. Better be sweaty and looking good."  
Nick made a mocking disgusted sound. "Your taste is horrible!"  
"Oh really?" Judy scoffed. " _Your_  taste is horrible. I'd think you'd love to have a  _tail_  whip."  
"You only have one cute bunny tail, Carrots," Nick countered in amusement. "Are you going to muzzle that on my face?"  
"I may not have a long fuzzy tail..." Judy raised her head to give a firm grin for the fox to lay his eyes on. "But I  _do_  have my two ears."  
"Hmm?"

Judy playfully raised her ears, one at a time, as if teasing the fox's focus. She could not hide her growing smile as she saw Nick's eyes visibly widen for a short moment.  
He followed his reaction shortly with a sportive smile and wriggled his eyebrows. "Carrots, I can't say I've seen you indulge in more intimate physical activities."  
"Call me Bunny. This might be a  _performance_  you'll never forget."  
"Call me Fox. And oh, I'm not easy to forget."

Their heavy breaths resounded together as they seemed to be fixated at one another.  
Judy raised her body a little, to provide space for her ears to poke on his polo shirt's buttons.  
"Bunny, what are you doing?"  
"Just being curious, Fox. Your Mom's a good tailor." The bunny offered even force for every press she did all over Nick's polo shirt.  
Nick smirked, although his eyes were looking fazed. "Are you just trying to tickle me back? That ain't gonna work."  
"Not tickle. You know what they say, Fox..." Judy momentarily stopped applying pressure as her right ear landed over one of his upper buttons. " _Undress to impress._ "

Nick silently expressed his surprise by the low  _o_  shape of his mouth and the slight narrowing of his eyes. "So you noticed, Bunny... Even this dumb fox can't satisfy himself."  
Judy managed to loosen the first button, before replying, "I caught your fever. I've been feeling it since."  
 _Second._  
"Hazy… I can't say it's a bad feeling."  
 _Third._  
"I mean, I haven't gotten my first heat yet."  
Apparently, her words presented more of a shock to the fox.  
He held her ears pause and addressed her, "But you're a  _bunny._  There  _is_  a reason why your population density is  _packed!_ "  
Judy smoothly removed her ears from his grasp, slightly hitting his face in the process, then continued to his fourth button. "Maybe I just wanted to find the right partner."  
 _Fifth._  
"This is like too many buttons for a formal wear. Your Mom should have thought it could be an obstacle."  
 _Sixth._  
"You're getting awfully quiet, Fox."  
 _Seventh and last._  
"Bunny..."

"Oh, I thought you'd have a shirt under..." Judy hummed in interest as she eyed his bare chest, slowly rising up and down as he breathed. "Isn't that part of the get-up?"  
"It's  _hot_  in these formalities," Nick admitted. "Besides, no one will bother about undergarments as long as you're present."  
"Not like I'd want more obstacles after those seven buttons." Judy did not spare him much time to adjust to the situation and started rubbing her ears down his fuzzy chest. "Any words to say?"  
She realized Nick was not looking directly at her anymore, and had an arm over his face as if embarrassed. "Bunny, it's like  _you_  are the one in heat."  
"Can't say I've done this before... neither have I ever considered my ears to be better entertainment than my hands."

"Fuck." Nick lowered the arm which covered his face to give her a crafty look. "If I was new to this stuff, I'd be more than mesmerized."  
"Stop acting the sly fox." Judy bit her lower lip as she raised herself on top of him and started thrusting her own body in slow motion, all while still continuing the applied pressure to what her bunny ears could reach. "I can arrest you for rebellious attitude. Insubordination."  
" _My..._ " Nick bared the longer parts of his teeth and growled pleasingly.  
Judy squealed in astonishment, awkwardly breaking the tension of the moment. "Nick..."  
The red fox was more than pleased to finally have leverage on the bunny, and told her casually, "Hmm? Are we just going to drop the naming convention?"

"I was just surprised..." For what presented to her as a typical reaction, Judy abruptly covered her face, using her very own ears, and shook her head in mortification as if everything she had been doing were starting to catch up with her actual awareness. "Sweet cheese, what am I doing here?"  
Nick hummed in apparent dismay and hid his display of feistiness. "I may have to rescind my high praises of your performance, Carrots."  
"I- I think my initial adrenaline's suddenly gone," Judy fessed up, still hiding herself with her ears. "But gosh, that thing you just did... Nick, I'm definitely stimulated right now. I- now I can't even identify whose scent is whose."

"So talkative..." Nick grasped the moment to take the upper hand and placed her body under his, looming over her in four paws.  
Judy had freed her face of her ears to give the red fox a candid look of anticipation.  
"Judy, you're my dumb bunny now." Nick leaned his face much closer to hers only to give her a bite on the neck, making her moan in surprise. "Nick!"  
"Did I hurt you?" He asked out of genuine concern.  
"It- uh, I..." Judy fumbled for words as her neck tingled at the intimate contact, jerking her head as if tickled by the very feeling and ended up rumbling in pleasure with a whisper, "I actually liked it."  
Nick's eyes seemed to twinkle with absolute relish as he droned in place. "Good."

Nick ceased the progression to remove his shirt, which he tossed over the bedside.  
"Now that's one obstacle less for me..." The red fox caressed her soft black dress tracing one of its gray weaves to the waist under, pausing at its lower hem. "I don't see you as a type of bunny who likes wearing this kind of stuff."  
"This is actually my Mom's," Judy supplied, feeling a little tingle from his inspection. "I had it delivered three days ago. I kinda like it. It's not too big under the legs, makes for a conservative style."  
"So I assume I can't just bite it off?"  
The bunny rolled her eyes. "That goes without saying. You want me to help?"

Judy easily left the rhetorical question hanging, stood up and turned her back to Nick. She proceeded to provide him instructions and to put emphasis on things that he should dare not do.  
"This is too complicated," Nick grumbled.  
"I had to ask the landowner for help when I wore it," Judy admitted. "Talk about making a buzz. Good thing Bucky and Pronk's still not home."  
"Who are they again?" Nick asked absently.  
"My loud neighbors." Judy grunted as she loosened the straps around her waist. "Probably out for a smoke with their buddies."  
"That's one negligent bunny cop for you."  
"Says the one who couldn't keep his hormones to himself  _and_  brought that reckless bunny cop alone to her room."

Her dress finally dropped to the floor, revealing her plain white tights and pink bra.  
With only her back for Nick to behold, Judy turned her head around to give a playful smirk.  
"You like what you see?" She wiggled her tail for emphasis.  
"That's like two to three hindrances left." Nick's eyes glowed with anticipation. "You want me to personally undress the rest?"  
" _Without_  turning me around," Judy laid out as a rule.  
"I'll be taking off the underwear, too...?"  
"Come on, who's excited for the flesh?"

Nick did not speak anymore as he stood directly behind the bunny.  
"I can just  _squeeze_  you tight with a hug."  
"You'll ruin the meat, Slick Nick."  
Judy huffed sharply as she suddenly felt the fox's paws on her sides, gently moving them up and down. Nick inhaled deeply through his nose, as if absorbing her scent. "Carrots, I may just be unable to contain myself."  
"Just hurry up and get on with it."  
"Will do, Officer."

Nick touched the strap of her bra and gently brought it up, with Judy helpfully raising her arms.  
"Going for the appetizer?" Judy teased.  
"Don't read too much into this," the fox said humorously.  
"Ohhh?" The bunny playfully stroked his head using her ears.  
"Carrots, you're hitting my eye."  
"What, do you want my ears to hit on something else?" Even Judy could feel the essence of her grin crawling through her voice.  
"Hmph. We're still not done here."  
Nick tapped her waist and slipped a few fingers to her underwear. "This is the point of no return, Carrots."  
"Don't act so preservative," murmured Judy as she helped Nick strip the rest of her garments down. "Should I turn around now?"  
Nick hummed dreamily as he whispered to the nape of her neck. "You don't have to make me do it."

Judy shrugged ever so slightly and presented her body for the fox to observe, then raised a bemused eyebrow. "Nick, you still have your pants on." She frowned in disdain as she added, "And a  _belt._ "  
Nonetheless, she eased themselves back on the bed, asserting the top position yet again.  
"Carrots, you're back on your game?" Nick teased.  
"Don't jinx it. A bunny can only go far." Judy mischievously trailed her paws along his waist in a leisurely pace, her mouth hanging a bit open in expectation.

As the belt slithered away from his pants, Judy hung her paws around his crotch only to loosen his zipper and reveal his fancy undershorts. "Nick?!"  
The red fox gave a fulfilled chuckle. "Boy, you're the first one to find out."  
It was undeniably the flashy outfit Gazelle's tigers would wear for her concert. "How naughty of you... Huh, we're not gonna need it anyway."  
She included the underwear in her grasp and pulled them down, revealing an already erected organ she had been anticipating to see. "Nicholas Wilde Junior."  
"How dare you," was Nick's brief and conniving reply.

Rather than offering her own snarky reply, Judy handily surprised the fox by indulging on his hard-on. "Ca- Carrots... I- I did not expect that."  
The bunny actually expected it to taste horrible but found only a slight tinge of saltiness, and she was soon enjoying it much to the fox's flustered amusement.  
"Fuck. What are you doing to me?"  
Judy paused and hung her mouth over the tip of his penis to speak slowly, "Language, Nick."  
"You're  _way_  dirtier than my language, Carrots."  
"Huh. Here I thought you'd praise me." She followed her words with a pleasurable hum as she fed herself a fox hard-on.  
"Yo- you're good. No teeth. No signs of being a beginner at all."  
Judy reddened a little upon hearing the words, lightly proud of herself for thinking of being considerate of his dick. She had actually thought about it already when they were undressing each other, and she was glad her hunch was spot on.  
And she wondered just how far she could get... putting his hard-on as deep inside her mouth as she could. "Judy..."

The mention of her name warmed her cheeks which further provoked her confidence, making herself gently and repeatedly suck on his dick while she allowed it to and fro inside her mouth.  
"Ca- th- I-" Nick was breathing heavily among mixed stutters of being fazed and satisfaction, with his legs pressing roughly against her body in random jerks.  
Just as Judy was starting to wonder whether she should ask her partner how long he could go on, the fox murmured, almost in a plea. "Faster, Carrots. Do it faster."  
She stopped once again to provide a grin and reply, "Nick, are you getting weak already?"  
"Getting near," was his frank answer.

Judy, however, had other plans in mind. She left his hard-on with a playful trace of her tongue and breathed on it ever so gently.  
"Carrots, don't you dare leave me hanging." Nick's attempt of a threat was weak and terrible, which only made Judy more pumped up. He made a rather confused expression as the bunny laid her back on his legs.  
"Remember when I asked you whether you wanted my ears to hit on something else?"  
As the red fox's attention turned to her ears, realization dawned unto him as his eyes widened. "I must be dreaming."  
"They may not be as slick as a fox's tail but..." Even with her eyes just staring at the ceiling, she easily managed to round his hard-on using her ears. She could totally feel her own grin. "There's a saying that  _two is better than one._ "

Nick seemed to be unable to settle on whether to moan or to catch his breath, while Judy was a little surprised to find that the feeling on her ears was rather pleasing.  
"C- C- Carrots... uhh..." Hearing Nick so discomposed rather turned on the bunny, but the fox persisted to speak, "If I may have a request...?"  
"What is it, Slick Nick?"  
"I just want to see your face as you..." Nick grunted as he raised his back to get closer to her. "Would that be possible?"  
Judy hummed in consideration as she stopped the ear job and turned back around. "Not sure this is gonna work..." The bunny moved in place so as to clasp her legs around Nick's body and lowered her ears... to find out that they could still reach his hard-on in their current position.  
"Is this better for you?" Judy grinned encouragingly as she pressed his dick by her ears once.  
"Your back doesn't hurt or anything?" Nick asked in genuine concern. "Not uncomfortable?"  
"All those work-outs and trainings paid off I guess... " Judy answered casually. "Made me more flexible."

Still, she stretched her chances and leaned her own face closer to his dick, with the both of them quickly realizing she could both suck and give him an ear job simultaneously; although deep throat was not an option in the position.  
"Sh- shit. Judy, you're a sight to behold."  
The bunny smirked at his unreserved reactions and proceeded to provide him the most pleasure out of the activity. She could see his arms shuffling around in her peripheral vision, probably uncertain whether to hold on the bedsheet or to squeeze her tight.  
Nick settled with a contrivance for both as his left side leaned lower to the bed while he raised his right arm to hold her head, all while making low moans he could not suppress.  
Soon after, he was providing assistance as he added force on her head motion.

Judy could feel his spasms becoming more erratic, which was a clearly obvious sign for her to be ready. "Carrots... are you-"  
She only grunted in affirmation and continued her intimate job, with Nick making a few loud moans in unrestricted pleasure.  
"Fuck. I'm near." The red fox inhaled one large amount of breath as he forced Judy to suck his dick much deeper, and paused the motion himself.  
Judy felt like she was in an awkward fetal position, but his following low growl was enough to keep her stimulated in thought and body. "Crap, hold on a second."

As Nick pulled her away from his hard-on, Judy could feel a drip of saliva protruding from her lips. She sucked it off with a low breath, keeping her eyes on the fox with narrowed suggestive eyes.  
"What, you can only have one shot?"  
"Don't worry, Carrots. I have so much prepared for a moment like this." He promptly brought the rabbit to the bed, and switched their positions once again.  
Judy raised her eyebrows in amusement. " _A moment like this?_  All this time, you were thinking of fucking a bunny?"  
Nick noted her profanity with a look of shrewd approval. "I can't say I never thought of interspecies intercourse." He carefully crawled over her body and pressed his paws to her wrists, effectively restraining her as she found out when she tried to wriggle her arms. "Carrots, I want my first shot to be inside you."  
"Well, if anything, I can assure you this is my first time." Judy pressed her legs as if to provide a mesmerizing display of her exposed clitoris.  
Nick peered at her exhibition with a twinkle in his eyes. "You bunnies are naturally lewd."  
"You foxes are naturally appealing."  
"We won't run out of praises at this rate," Nick drawled as he moved down, much to Judy's anticipation. "Now it's the sly fox's turn. But we have to stimulate you first."  
Judy smiled weakly as she saw Nick widen his canid grin. "You're already wet, Carrots."  
"You moan  _way_  too much, Nick."  
"You're just that good."  
"Flattery won't get you anywhere..." Judy flashed a few of her lower teeth as a tease. "But we're already here and naked anyway."  
"You  _speak_  way too much, Carrots." The fox soon allowed himself a fresh dose of bunny fluids through hungry indulging of her clit.

Judy was pleased to see the growing puzzled expression in the fox's face as she chose to remain silent and almost unresponsive.  
"Wh- Carrots, do you not like what I'm doing?"  
"Maybe I'm just not impressed as I thought I'd be." She gave a smirk so as not to completely distress him, like she was hinting he still had hope.  
Nick paused to consider her words carefully. "So you don't... like it?"  
It was her turn to suppress a wave of perturbation as Nick seemed to ask the question in a very sincere tone. She had an inner thought that he could as well just be testing her... but she digressed from the idea.  
"I like it," Judy replied conservatively, eyeing the fox for any minor facial expression changes. If she were to be honest however, it took almost her whole sanity to keep a straight face from such a pleasurable act.

The red fox seemed to reconsider his options, and then turned back up to her neck to gently rub his snout on the bite mark he left a while ago. "Carrots, I'm going to make you happy tonight."  
Judy inhaled sharply at the firm resolve in his voice, strangely putting her in silent awe.  
He seriously wanted to give her contentment.  
"I love you, Judy." She did not expect the succeeding kiss and was unable to react in time.  
Without more alluring words to say, Nick gently licked the bite mark then followed with smooth breaths as his attention declined from her face and turned to her chest, particularly her nipples.

She could not stop a moan as he gave a delicate bite to her right nipple, sucking on it every now and then until it became taut with the contact. "Do you like it, Carrots?"  
"Oh, yes Nick. I do." He then turned to the other unattended nipple and gave the same special care, much to her intensifying fazed state. However, it soon became clear that her chest was not his focus as he procced much lower, giving a moment for her abdomen.  
Nick released his hold on her wrists, placed a paw on her belly and  _purred_  in delight.  
"It's my first time to touch you like this."  
"Your hand feels warm," Judy commented sincerely.

Nick acknowledged her with a grunt and traced his paw to the lower parts of her body, touching her wet opening. "Carrots, are you ready?"  
Judy nodded diffidently and absently gripped the bedsheet with her paws. The red fox noted the nervous action and raised his paws to hold hers. "We're doing this together."  
"So you noticed... I'm kinda nervous." She tightly gripped his support as if trying to draw resolve from it.  
"I'll be easy on you," Nick affirmed as he moved his right paw to assist his erection. "Or we can still stop...?"  
"No," Judy muttered rather too fast. "We- we're doing this together."  
"Okay then, just relax. Breathe in. Breathe out." His tone was of an instructor's controlled regularity but Judy was relieved to hear anything of helpful comfort.  
She glanced at his expectant eyes and obediently followed his advice, with Nick imitating her as if to form a hypnotizing rhythm of calm... which worked to her mild surprise.  
"I'm going in."

His previous sucking of her clitoris proved beneficial for the intercourse as his remaining saliva acted up as efficient lubricant for the erection's entrance.  
Judy's hold on his paws tensed as she allowed his penis inside her vagina, with the process quickly starting to feel painfully and terribly slow. "Nick- Nick- Nick..."  
Nick immediately stopped his course upon sensing the urgency in her voice and said, "Carrots, are you not liking it?"  
"D- Don't stop, Nick! Get it in!"  
Judy could vaguely see a trace of a thin smile in the fox's face but she could not focus on it as she tried to adjust to the conflict of pain and strange tickle she was getting.  
Nick silently followed and eased himself further inside her, causing her to be louder with her incessant moans. "Oh, Nick..."  
"Uhhh... you're so tight, Carrots." He was quick to thrust his whole erection inside, leaving it motionless and for Judy to decide on what to do next. "Nick, I-"

Judy, however, could not get herself to form any comprehensible reply as the surmounting extreme feelings overwhelmed her. Nick hummed thoughtfully as he seemed to judge the bunny based on the pace of her breaths.  
"Don't let the heat get to you... or I will have to make my long Carrots retreat."  
Despite her flustered state, Judy finally managed to speak and scoffed off the joke. "My ears are longer than your Carrots."  
Upon hearing her retort, Nick went agape as if flabbergasted. "Carrots, I  _can't_  believe you."  
"I... I can't believe I have you inside me..." Judy chattered in fazed euphoria.

"About that..." Nick glanced at their physical connection. "Have you adjusted to it already?"  
"I... my stomach tingles even now," Judy admitted with a shade of embarrassment. "Then whenever we actually make any movement, I f- feel like I'm gonna pee."  
Nick raised an eyebrow, acknowledging her complete honesty. "So do we take this passionately slow or rigorously fast?"  
"S- stop it with the superfluous words!" Judy chuckled. "I mean... I want this to last longer but the pee feeling is just weird."  
"So you  _do_  like it?"  
"Def-"

Judy knew she was absolutely sure of her positive answer... yet something in his tone caught her off guard and made her stop. It was undeniably an ambivalent touch of uncertainty and a crawling feeling of being upset.  
She suddenly realized that all those times he had asked her whether she liked whatever he was doing... he had actually been silently pleading for a validation for his good character.  
She was right after all, he was still holding on an older part of his tale; He was right after all, he was indeed as lost just as they had been in the masquerade.  
Whether he was aware of the conflicts in his inner subconscious or not, Judy could only gaze upon his deeper thoughts, feeling a pang of grief of her own... trying to sympathize with the confused fox.

Judy thought she had already cried so many tears barely an hour ago... yet she found her face getting fresh traces again. Nick's eyes widened in shock as he stammered an apology. "Carrots, let's not continue this. I- I don't mean to hurt you."  
He removed his paws from hers to support his body as he motioned to pull out his erection, but Judy quickly reached out to his body and pulled him back to a lopsided embrace.  
"Bunnies are just so  _damn_  emotional, Nick." Judy sniffed hurriedly to continue. "I just... I just wanted to tell you that everything I said to you a while ago  _is_  true and  _will_  remain true.

"I'll always be here for you.  
"I'll always be your dumb bunny.  
"I'll always be your partner in fluff and crime.  
"You'll always, always,  _always_  be the fox I've come to feel  _so_  attached to.

"I love you too, Nick," she whispered as she kissed him gently on the lips.

There was not much visible reaction from the red fox except for his shimmering eyes, tears of his own welling up. "This is so awkward..." Nick chuckled as he waved a paw over his eyes. "We're in a sex position, Carrots."  
Judy grinned faintly. "And you're seriously crying with a hard-on, hormonal fox."  
Both animals ended up getting essentially drained to speak more dear words, yet the dance in their eyes finally connected and the sparks in their hearts were reciprocated at last.

Nick offered back his paws for Judy to clench on and resumed his slow and passionate thrusts inside the bunny's body, moaning at the feeling of tight ecstasy. He kept up with the pace and indulged himself with the flustered expressions she was making.  
Meanwhile, Judy could only breathe in deep huffs as she tried to match his intoxicating rhythm. "C- can you be more assertive, Nick?"  
The fox murmured in amusement. "Oh? In what way?"  
Judy opened her mouth to twirl her tongue provocatively. "Why don't you show off those defining vulpine characteristics you're proud of?"  
Nick grunted in pleasant surprise. "You're playing one dangerous game, Carrots."

As the fox bared his teeth and growled viciously for Judy to see, he started humping much faster as if to confirm his aggressiveness. "How's this, Carrots?"  
"Much better, Nick." Judy grunted through harsh breaths.  
"And we can go even hotter from here." While his waist moved to press his erection back and forth inside her, Nick would have his face loom close to hers with a menacing breath of desire. "My predatorial instincts are kicking in."  
"Try me."

Nick grazed the tip of his fangs around her neck and breathed on her fur very softly.  
"Oh, you're  _so_  fluffy and cute."  
"You're gonna have to refrain from biting my neck off, Nick," Judy advised humorously. "And since you're doing so well, I'll let you off with the  _cute_  word."  
"How about we erase that rule in bed?" Nick asked in a whisper, as if actually trying to tickle her through his short breaths. "And you might want to stay still or as Finnick says,  _'I'll bite your face off.'_ "  
Judy rolled her eyes. "That's not very endearing to say to this vulnerable bunny."

He kept his fangs hanging over her neck as if signifying an impending feast of her, all while humping on her with an increasingly faster and intense progression. "Carrots, I'm getting near again."  
"I think I'm also..."  
Their gazes beheld each other as Nick was evidently becoming rougher with his thrusts, while their paws clasped more tightly in anticipation.  
"Nick, go faster."  
"Fuck. This feels so good."

Judy vaguely noticed his fangs closing in on hers, opening wider than ever, and his breath giving her stimulating warmth. "Nick, can you, like, bite me already?"  
"That's what I'm trying  _not_  to do!" The fox admitted amidst his incessantly applied force. "Fuck. You have no idea how your bunny flesh turned me on. It tasted so good I wanted more of it."  
Judy was a little astonished by the fierceness of his statement, instinctually taking it as an honest implication of desire. "Nick, I trust you."  
"Carrots..."  
"You're not the only one turned on by the other." Judy offered as mild encouragement. "Your fangs are way too sexy."

The rabbit tilted the free side of her neck exposed and encouraged him further.  
"You'll also be a happy fox tonight."  
"This better not hurt."  
Nick easily lost his willpower against his carnal desire and his teeth gingerly held her neck, relishing on the invigorating taste she offered. He could no longer speak but only rumble in delectation as he pressed their bodies together, pain and pleasure forming a harmonious feeling of oneness.

They only gave one last grunt before their very bodies jerked uncontrollably to the other, and held the position still as their climax arrived.  
Judy moaned as she reveled in the feeling of semen rushing inside her vagina.  
Nick growled deeply as he took great care not to put too much tension on her neck, barely able to hold his ecstasy.  
They lasted a few seconds in the same position, their wheezing becoming exceedingly forceful as both animals tried to chase and calm their own breaths.  
"Nick- uh- I..." She chuckled satisfyingly as Nick only twitched his tail behind him playfully, still unable to speak with his fangs on her. "Sweet cheese, that feeling inside! I- uhh..."

Judy could feel both his erection and hold on her neck becoming less firm, his bite already leaving a sense of strange tingles.  
"Nick... haha- how are you?"  
The fox finally released her - neck, paws and all - and gave her a very fond look. "I'm happy I just fucked my partner."  
"Slick Nick, dirty, dirty." Judy tutted in jest.  
"Oh, How I'd be dirty for you all over again." Nick looked like he wanted to say more but he decided to collapse right beside her on the bed and laid himself by his back. "But I'm dead tired."  
"Dumb fox."  
"Sly bunny."

The two of them laughed as they gave each other a comfortable rest on the bedsheet.  
"Shit, Carrots," Nick muttered. "We're going to smell of sex tomorrow. Everyone's going to find out."  
Judy cackled in cheer. "I already told Fang's group I was crushing on you anyway."  
Nick turned to her in skepticism. "What, for real?"  
The bunny shrugged. "And you know what she told me?"  
The fox only shook his head in innocence.  
 _"I just made this up for casual sex talk. "_

Nick narrowed his eyebrows upon hearing her answer. "You've become quite the deceiving bunny, Carrots."  
The rabbit placed a provocative foot over his body and teased a waist movement to his crotch. "Is that what Nicholas Wilde Junior says?"  
The fox grinned ferociously. "Is that supposed to be my embarrassment for me to call you cute?"  
She responded by raising her ears mischievously and spoke in a highly pitched voice, "Bunny Eary 1 and 2 are not amused."  
"I tell you..." Nick drawled as he traced a paw on her front body. "Once I get another erection, I might be unable to stop myself."  
"This bunny can have more than one go tonight. But can you?"  
"Carrots, is that supposed to be a challenge?"

"Maybe..."  
Judy leaned her face close to Nick's, with the fox easily getting her drift and rubbing his snout gently with her nose, following with a trade of one ardent kiss.  
"I love you, Judy."  
"I love you too, Nick."

Just then, a loud set of footprints was felt vibrating on the ground and Judy's eyes widened in realization.  
"Oh, my neighbors."  
Nick grinned in mischief. "You want to say hi to them?"  
"Do antelopes have a strong sense of smell?" Judy asked absently.  
"Well, if they're as loud as you say, I'm pretty sure we'll know soon."

As they waited patiently for her neighbors to settle in the next room, Nick gave a solemn expression over Judy's direction.  
"You know, I have to tell you something."  
Judy frowned. "Something else in your mind?"  
"I  _kinda_  talked to Fang days prior to this event. Or rather, she did."  
The bunny's eyes widened a bit. "Oh, really?"  
"Well, before that..." Nick actually chuckled before he continued, "You had Clawhauser on your side, right?"  
The female officer nodded slowly, still unsure about his direction. "What about it?"  
"Do you think they might have been on to something to get us together?"

It was a sudden question out of the ordinary, and Judy could not help but laugh.  
"No way! You're better than this, Nick."  
The fox just shrugged in defeat.

\- O – O – O – O – O -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] The names of the vixens are definitely not random.  
> They are direct references to other Zootopia fanfics/ fanarts/ concepts.


End file.
